Stay-tab beverage can with protective guard

ABSTRACT

A stay-tab beverage can with protective guard is provided. An example protective guard made integral with beverage cans keeps insects and foreign objects out of the beverage can. Rotating versions of the protective guard can use the existing rivet of a stay-tab to accommodate the protective guard as an add-on to the manufacturing process. Other versions of the protective guard hinge or slide to protect the can&#39;s opening. Example designs of the protective guard are attached to the can in various ways, and rotate, flip, or slide to engage the opening of the beverage can. Some example designs of the guard can hold a drinking straw in place, with other versions cap or seal the beverage. A webbed version of the guard provides a grill or grate, while solid flap versions open for fluid flow and close when the flow stops. The protective guards may be made in various commercially desirable shapes and colors.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/496,653 to Webster, filed Oct. 25,2016, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

A beverage can container is a closed vessel, typically made of a metal,for holding a measured amount of liquid for human consumption. Cancapacity varies throughout the world, but is generally between 300-500ml (355 ml or 12 ounces in the U.S.). The contents of the beveragecontainer may or may not be under pressure. Each beverage can is closedand sealed, enclosing its apportioned liquid, but each beveragecontainer typically has a built-in opening mechanism. Approximately 350billion such beverage cans are manufactured annually worldwide. Aboutthree-fourths of the world's annual production of such cans aremanufactured from aluminum, while the remaining one-fourth are mostlysteel cans, plated with tin (“tin cans”). Very thin linings made ofplastic polymer usually prevent the liquid beverage contents fromreacting to the metal of the can.

As shown in FIG. 1, conventional beverage containers 100 usually have abuilt-in opening mechanism 102. These opening mechanisms have includedthe now defunct pop-tab, the press button, and the popular stay-on-tab,also known as the “sta-tab” or “stay-tab” opening device 102 (ReynoldsMetals, Richmond, Va.). The size of the opening 104 revealed by theopening mechanism 102 varies, such as a standard size and a wide-mouthsize. Almost all beverage containers 100 currently use the stay-tabopening device 102, which consists of a stiff aluminum ringed lever,actuator, or tab 106 attached to the top of the can 100 by a rivet 108.The tab 106 creates leverage against a pre-scored area 110 of the metalof the can top, using successive fulcrums during the act of opening thecan 100. The ringed tab 106 is pulled up by the human beverage consumerto create upward force at the rivet 108 using the top of the pressurizedcan as a fulcrum at the end of the lever 106. When the scored metal 110outlining the area that is to become the opening 104 breaks the scoredcan open near the rivet 108, pressure is released from the can 100, andthe fulcrum shifts converting the lever 106 from a lifting lever to asee-saw type lever that pivots at the rivet 108, now providing downwardforce at the end of the lever 106 to drive the metal of the previouslyscored area 110 of the can down into the interior of the can 100 tocreate the can opening 104.

Once open, most disposable beverage cans 100 are not reclosable, and theopen hole 104 is subject to liquid loss, carbonation loss, and intrusionby bees, insects, and other foreign objects. A small percentage of canshave resealable openings, such as a beverage can made by Cogitocan(Champforgeuil, France), but the resealable opening is a relativelycomplex and expensive additional apparatus, and relatively difficult tomanufacture. Once reclosed, the consumer must reopen the Cogtiocancontainer to access the liquid, and cannot drink through the reclosablemechanism.

Most metal beverage cans manufactured in the United States are made ofaluminum. In some parts of Europe and Asia, approximately 55 percent ofbeverage cans are made of steel and 45 percent are aluminum alloy. Steelcans often have a top made of aluminum. The aluminum used in UnitedStates and Canada are alloys containing 92.5% to 97% aluminum, less than5.5% magnesium, less than 1.6% manganese, less than 0.15% chromium andsome trace amounts of iron, silicon, and copper according tospecifications from aluminum producer Alcoa. Alloys used may include3004, 3105, or other 3xxx/5xxx series aluminum.

Several attempts have been made to provide a bug guard for the stay-tabopening of a beverage can. U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,742 to Lewis describes aguard separate from the can that includes a retaining slot adapted tofit over the can tab actuator. This (plastic) bug guard is secured tothe top lid of the can by bending the tab actuator upward, sliding thetab actuator through the retaining slot, and bending the tab actuatordownward. The Lewis bug guard includes a plurality of apertures inalignment with the drink opening to allow a consumer to drink from thecan while preventing insects and debris from entering the can throughthe drink opening. However, the Lewis device is a separate apparatusfrom the can, made of different materials than the can, and must beattached manually to the can as a separate item.

U.S. Patent Publication 20040094550 to Poole describes a pull tab withinsect guard for drinks, wherein the beverage container has a moveablering pull with a bug-restrictive openings in the ring pull itself. Thering pull is moveable over the opening of the container, and the openingis also sized to cooperate with the geometry of the ring pull to preventforeign objects from coming into the opening of the can, while lettingthe contents of the can be poured out. The Poole can, however, wouldrequire extensive changes in the current process and machination formanufacturing standard beverage cans, a process that already optimizesthe stay-tab 102 for making 350 billion beverage cans 100 annually.Moreover, the Poole can provides an opening that is restrictive and notvery suitable for the consumer to drinking through.

SUMMARY

A stay-tab beverage can with protective guard is provided. An exampleprotective guard made integral with beverage cans keeps insects andforeign objects out of the beverage can. Rotating versions of theprotective guard can use the existing rivet of a stay-tab to accommodatethe protective guard as an add-on to the manufacturing process. Otherversions of the protective guard hinge or slide to protect the can'sopening. Example designs of the protective guard are attached to the canin various ways, and rotate, flip, or slide to engage the opening of thebeverage can. Some example designs of the guard can hold a drinkingstraw in place, with other versions cap or seal the beverage. A webbedversion of the guard provides a grill or grate, while solid flapversions open for fluid flow and close when the flow stops. Theprotective guards may be made in various commercially desirable shapesand colors.

This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features ofthe claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid inlimiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Certain embodiments of the disclosure will hereafter be described withreference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numeralsdenote like elements. It should be understood, however, that theaccompanying figures illustrate the various implementations describedherein and are not meant to limit the scope of various technologiesdescribed herein.

In the Figures, the shown parts are not necessarily to scale, and notnecessarily in scale with regards to relative sizes and relativethicknesses of adjacent parts. Rather, the components of the Figures aresized and scaled relative to each other for purposes of description.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example conventional beverage can withstay-tab opening device.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example beverage can with a rotatable webbedgrill or grate protective guard attached at a rivet of the beverage can.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an example webbed grill or grate protective guardin a football-themed design attached at a rivet of the beverage can.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of an example webbed grill or grate protective guardin a basketball-themed design attached at a rivet of the beverage can.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of an example simple barred-grill protective guardattached at a rivet of the beverage can.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of an example webbed grill or grate protective guardwith ring for supporting a drinking straw, attached at a rivet of thebeverage can.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of an example ringed grill or grate protective guardwith one or more rings for supporting drinking straws attached at arivet of the beverage can.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of an example grill or grate protective guard withsolid surface provided for displaying a message or advertisement,attached at a rivet of the beverage can.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of an example grill or grate protective guard withsolid surface provided for displaying a message or advertisement, andring for a drinking straw, attached at a rivet of the beverage can.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of an example solid flap protective guard withsolid surface provided for displaying a message or advertisement, andflexible crease for permitting fluid flow, attached at a rivet of thebeverage can.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of an example solid flap protective guard withsolid surface provided for displaying a message or advertisement, andlips for sealing or capping the beverage.

FIG. 12 is a diagram of an example disk style protective guard, whichmay be placed above or below a tab of the beverage can.

FIG. 13 is a diagram of an example configuration for securing theprotective guard to the beverage can with an example rivet.

FIG. 14 is a diagram of another example configuration for securing aprotective guard to the beverage can with an example rivet.

FIG. 15 is a diagram of another example configuration for securing aprotective guard to the beverage can with an example rivet.

FIG. 16 is a diagram of another example configuration for securing aprotective guard to the beverage can with an example rivet 108.

FIG. 17 is a diagram of another example configuration for securing aprotective guard to the beverage can with an example rivet.

FIG. 18 is a diagram of another example configuration for securing aprotective guard to the beverage can around an example rivet.

FIG. 19 is a diagram of an example grill or grate design of a hingedprotective guard.

FIG. 20 is a diagram of another example grill or grate design of ahinged protective guard.

FIG. 21 is a diagram of an example disk style design of a hingedprotective guard.

FIG. 22 is a diagram of an example sliding protective guard for abeverage can.

FIG. 23 is a diagram of example views of the sliding protective guardfor a beverage can of FIG. 22.

FIG. 24 is a flow diagram of an example method of constructing abeverage can with rotational protective guard utilizing currentmanufacturing processes for a beverage can.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overview

This disclosure describes stay-tab beverage cans with protective guards.In an implementation, a stay-tab beverage can has an example hygienicbee and bug guard (hereinafter “protective guard” or just “guard”)built-in during manufacture of the can, or in another implementation,added-on during an additional step in the manufacture of the beveragecan. Although the example protective guards can be part of the beveragecan itself, a given protective guard on a can may be ignored if notneeded.

Example designs of the protective guard are attached to the can invarious ways, and rotate, flip, or slide to engage the opening of thebeverage can. Various webbed designs of the protective guard keepinsects and other foreign objects out of the beverage can while allowingthe beverage to be consumed or poured out. Some webbed designs may alsohold a drinking straw securely in the beverage can. Yet other exampledesigns of the guard can cap or seal the beverage in the beverage can.In an implementation, some designs of the protective guard provide asolid flap that keeps insects and other foreign objects out of thebeverage can, while moving valve-like to allow beverage to flow or beconsumed. In another implementation, an example protective guard can bemanufactured with the beverage can, and slides over the tab of thestay-tab feature of a beverage can to advance or retract over theopening of the beverage can.

Example Rotating Guard Designs

FIG. 2 shows an example beverage can 100, including a stay-tab openingdevice 102 secured to the beverage can 100 by a rivet 108. The rivet 108may be drawn conventionally from the aluminum of the beverage can top.The beverage can 100 has an example protective guard 200 to keep foreignobjects out of the beverage can 100. The example protective guard 200may utilize a grill or grate design that allows fluid to pass whileblocking bees, insects, and foreign objects. The example protectiveguard 200 is disposed above the stay-tab opening device 102 androtatably secured to the beverage can 100 by the rivet 108. In animplementation, a strain-relief void 202 in the protective guard 200enables flexing of the protective guard 200 near the rivet 108, whichallows the protective guard 200 to flex and rotate independently of thestay-tab opening device 102 without interfering with the action of thestay-tab opening device 102. The strain-relief void may be formed in themetal or plastic of the protective guard 200 during manufacture, or maybe cut later into the protective guard 200, after manufacture.

The strain-relief void 202 may be a crescent-shaped hole or voiddisposed partially around the rivet 108 that prevents the protectiveguard 200 from interfering with the leverage action of the stay-tabopening device 102.

In an example design, the protective guard 200 provides an ample opening204 in the surface of the protective guard 200 for beverage flow, whilethe opening 204 is divided by bars 206 spaced to keep a foreign objectout of an opening 104 of the beverage can 100.

FIG. 3 shows another example design of the protective guard 300, inwhich the bars 302 form a webbed grill or grate, which can alsorepresent a sport symbol, for example a football. The bars 302 of thewebbed grill or grate may also form a word, abbreviation, acronym, orinitialism, for commercially desirable reasons. In this case, the bars302 form the initialism NFA, for example. The bars 302 of the protectiveguard 300 can be customized to indicate a sports team or a sportsleague, for example. The protective guard 300 may be painted or coloredin some other manner to display messages, symbols, logos, and so forth.The protective guard 300 may be made of aluminum, plastic, and othersuitable materials.

FIG. 4 shows another example design of the protective guard 400, inwhich the bars 402 form a sport symbol, for example a basketball, andthe bars 402 also form a word, abbreviation, acronym, or initialism. Inthis case, the bars 402 form the initialism NBL, for example.

FIG. 5 shows another example design of the protective guard 500, inwhich the protective guard 500 provides an opening 502 for ample flow ofthe canned beverage, and the opening 502 in the surface of the exampleprotective guard 500 has only a single inside bar 504 to keep foreignobjects out of the opening 104 of the beverage can 100.

FIG. 6 shows another example webbed design of the protective guard 600.A ring 602 is included in the webbed grill design and connects to atleast one of the bars 604 of the example webbed protective guard 600,capable of securing a drinking straw placed in the beverage can 100.

FIG. 7 shows another example design of the protective guard 700. Theexample protective guard 700 has an opening 702 in a surface of theprotective guard 700. The opening is divided by a ring 704 to keepforeign objects out of the opening 104 of the beverage can 100. In animplementation, the ring 706 can be capable of securing a drinking strawin the beverage can 100.

FIG. 8 shows another example webbed design of the protective guard 800.The example protective guard 800 may have a solid surface 802 fordisplaying an advertisement, or other message or purpose. The exampleprotective guard 800 may have both a solid surface 802 for displaying anadvertisement, for example, and an opening 804 in the solid surface 802,the opening divided by bars 806 spaced to keep foreign object out of theopening 104 of the beverage can 100.

FIG. 9 shows an example protective guard 900 with several differentfeatures. The protective guard 900 has a solid surface 902 fordisplaying a message or advertisement, and bars 904 to keep foreignobjects out of the beverage can 100. A ring 906 is added among the bars904 for holding a drinking straw in the beverage can 100.

FIG. 10 shows another example implementation of the example protectiveguard 1000. The example protective guard 1000 may be a solid flap 1002,that rotates on the rivet 108. The solid flap 1002 may have a built-inflexibility crease 1004, to hinge the protective guard 1000 for lettinga beverage out of the beverage can 100. The ability to flex or hinge canprovide the example protective guard 1000 with a valve-like utility, inwhich the solid flap 1002 lifts by the flow of fluid from the beveragecan 100, and closes when the flow stops.

FIG. 11 shows another example design of the protective guard 1100. Theexample protective guard 1100 of FIG. 11 is a solid flap design, with aflexible hinge area 1102 for opening and closing the protective flapguard 1100 against the top of the beverage can 100. The solid surface ofthe solid flap can be used for advertising or to display a message. Theexample protective guard 1100 may have one or more lips 1104 for sealingthe solid flap of the protective guard 1100 to edges 1106 of the opening104 of the beverage can 100, thereby capping the opening 104 and sealingthe beverage in the beverage can 100. The example protective guard 1100can lift by the flow of fluid from the beverage can 100, and close whenthe flow stops.

FIG. 12 shows another example design of the protective guard 1200 forbeverage cans 100. This implementation of the protective guard 1200 isdisk-like with a smaller opening to distribute a smaller flow of thebeverage, with a barred opening to prevent ingress of insects or otherforeign objects into the beverage can 100. The example disk version ofthe protective guard 1200 may be manufactured above or below (not shown)a tab 106 of the beverage can 100. When placed below the tab 106 of astay-tab opening device 102, for example, the retracted protective guard1200 does not interfere with the opening action of the tab 106 or thestay-tab opening device 102.

Example Rivet Fastening Mechanisms

There are several ways to take advantage of the rivet 108 of a beveragecan 100 to secure the protective guards to the beverage cans 100.

FIG. 13 shows an example configuration for securing the protective guard1300 to the beverage can 100 with an example rivet 108. In thisimplementation, the conventional manufacturing design of the rivet 108,such as the conventional rivet 108 of a stay-tab opening device 102, isnot altered. Instead, this embodiment uses the conventional rivet head1302 of the rivet 108 as a rotational hub 1302 for the protective guard,and then attaches a second rivet head or plate 1304 on top of theconventional rivet head 1302 to secure the rotating protective guard1300. The plate 1304 may be fastened to the top of the conventionalrivet head 1302 by ultrasonic welding, for example, or other means, andforms a double-headed rivet. Or, the plate 1304 may be added to theconventional rivet scheme as a modification of the conventional canmanufacturing process. The protective guard 1300 can be made out of aflexible material, to bend up and over, when other parts 1306 of the tab106 are thicker than the aluminum metal of the tab 106 proximate to therivet 108.

FIG. 14 shows another example configuration for securing a protectiveguard 1400 to the beverage can 100 with an example rivet 108. In thisimplementation, which is similar to that shown in FIG. 13, a rounded cap1402 is fastened to the top of the conventional rivet head 1302(relative size of the rounded cap 1402 is exaggerated in FIG. 14 forillustrative purposes—dotted line 1406 shows another version). Therounded cap 1402 allows the protective guard 1400, which can be made ofa compliant material, such as a compliant plastic or even aluminumformed or scored to be compliant, to be pressed over the top of therounded cap 1402. When the compliant protective guard 1400 snaps intoplace, it is permanently attached to the beverage can 100. The roundedcap 1402 may be fastened to the top of the conventional rivet head 1302by ultrasonic welding, for example, or other means, and also forms adouble-headed rivet. Or, the rounded cap 1402 may be added to theconventional rivet scheme as a modification of the conventional canmanufacturing process.

FIG. 15 shows another example configuration for securing a protectiveguard 1500 to the beverage can 100 with an example rivet 108. In thisimplementation, the protective guard 1500 has a wider hole for rotatingaround the conventional rivet 108, and the wider hole is accommodated bya “wheel” hub or washer 1502 with a z-shaped cross section 1504. Theprotective guard 1500 may ride between the tab 106 and the washer 1502.The wider hole in the protective guard 1500 and the presence of the hubor washer 1502 separating the guard 1500 from the rivet 108 may allowthe protective guard 1500 to be made from certain kinds of plastics,polymers, or other materials not compatible with the usual manufacturingprocesses for aluminum metal in the production of aluminum beverage cans100.

FIG. 16 shows another example configuration for securing a protectiveguard 1600 to the beverage can 100 with an example rivet 108. In thisimplementation, the protective guard 1600 is fastened to the top surfaceof the hub or washer 1502, also shown in FIG. 15. This embodiment givesthe protective guard more height above the tab 106 of the stay-tabopening device 102, so that the tab 106 and the protective guard 1600rotate around the rivet 108 in planes that are separated from each otherby a desirable distance.

FIG. 17 shows another example configuration for securing a protectiveguard 1700 to the beverage can 100 with an example rivet 108. In thisembodiment, the aluminum metal of the conventional rivet head 1302 isdrawn further up during production to a greater height to accommodatethe thickness of the protective guard 1700. The construction materialfor the protective guard 1700, in turn, is selected for enoughflexibility to not interfere with the action of the tab 106 of thestay-tab opening device 102.

FIG. 18 shows another example configuration for securing a protectiveguard 1800 to the beverage can 100 around an example rivet 108. In thisimplementation, a horseshoe-shaped holder 1802 is formed from thealuminum metal of the tab 106 of the stay-tab opening device 102, andthe protective guard 1800 is secured to the horseshoe-shaped holder1802. The horseshoe-shaped holder 1802 can rise above the top level ofthe rivet 108 to hold the protective guard 1800 above the level of therivet 108. The protective guard 1800 may be made of a compliant materialto bend down to maximize fit over the opening 104 of the beverage can100, or scored with one or more pre-formed folding lines in such a waythat the protective guard 1800 can be folded over the opening 104 of thebeverage can 100. The horseshoe-shaped holder itself 1802 also providesan adjustable height for the attached protective guard 1800.

Example Hinged Guard Designs

Besides versions that rotate on a rivet 108 of the beverage can 100,versions of the protective guard may use a hinging mechanism to protectthe opening 104 of the beverage can 100.

FIG. 19 shows an example hinge style protective guard 1900. In oneversion, the example protective guard 1900 is a grid that allowsbeverage to flow while stopping insects and other foreign object fromentering the beverage can 100. The protective guard 1900 is attached tothe tab 106 by anchors 1902 & 1904 that can be drawn from the aluminummetal of the tab 106, and provide hinge anchors 1902 & 1904 on eitherside of the tab 106 of the stay-tab opening mechanism 102. The exampleprotective guard 1900 is formed with protrusions that form complementarypins 1906 for the anchors 1902 & 1904. The anchors 1902 & 1904 and pins1906 form the hinge, in an example implementation. The anchors 1902 &1904 may be formed around the pins 1906 during manufacture, or theexample protective guard 1900 may be made of a compliant material thatcan flex to allow the pins 1906 to be inserted into the anchors 1902 &1904.

FIG. 20 shows another example hinge style protective guard 2000. Theexample protective guard 2000 is a elliptical grid that allows beverageto flow while stopping insects and other foreign object from enteringthe beverage can 100. The protective guard 2000 is attached to the tab106 by anchors 2002 & 2004 that can be drawn from the aluminum metal ofthe tab 106, and provide anchor parts 2002 & 2004 of an example hingemechanism, on either side of the tab 106 of the stay-tab openingmechanism 102.

FIG. 21 shows another example hinge style protective guard 2100. Theexample protective guard 2100 is disk-like with a smaller opening 2102than the can's opening 104 to distribute a reduced flow of the beverage,with a single bar across the opening 2102 to prevent ingress of insectsor other foreign objects into the beverage can 100. The protective guard2100 is attached to the tab 106 by anchors 2104 & 2106 that can be drawnfrom the aluminum metal of the tab 106, and provide a hinge mechanismthat straddles the tab 106 of the stay-tab opening mechanism 102.

Example Sliding Guard Designs

An example sliding version of the protective guard 2200 can be producedas part of the beverage can 100 during manufacture. The example slidingprotective guard 2200 engages the tab 106 of the stay-tab opening device102, and slides back-and-forth on the tab 106. The sliding protectiveguard 2200 can advance over the opening 104 of the beverage can 100, orcan retract up the tab 106 when not needed. In an implementation, thesliding protective guard 2200 is made as part of the tab 106, and therivet 108 of the beverage may be drawn during manufacture through adrinking straw hole 2202 of the sliding protective guard 2200.

FIG. 23 shows a top view 2302 and end view 2304 of the slidingprotective guard 2200. In an implementation the sliding protective guard2200 is made from aluminum, while in another implementation the slidingprotective guard 2200 can be made in part or entirely from injectionmolded plastic, for example. The sliding protective guard 2200 may havean under tab sliding guide or bracket 2306 that fits over the tab 106and slides, and may have stops, such as raised bumps for example, or adetente, to keep the sliding protective guard 2200 on the tab 106.

Example Method

FIG. 24 shows an example method 2400 of constructing a protectedbeverage can. In the flow diagram of FIG. 24, operations of the examplemethod 2400 are shown in individual blocks.

At block 2402 a hole is sized in a rotatable protective guard for abeverage can in order to utilize a rivet head of a stay-tab openingdevice on the beverage can as a rotational hub. The rotatable protectiveguard prevents foreign objects from entering an opening of the beveragecan.

At block 2404, the protective guard is placed above a tab of thestay-tab opening device of the beverage can during a manufacture of thebeverage can.

At block 2406, a plate or a cap is secured to a top of the rivet head ofthe stay-tab opening device to hold the rotatable protective guard in asame plane as the rivet head of the stay-tab opening device of thebeverage can for rotation of the rotatable protective guard around therivet head.

In an implementation, a rounded cap is secured to the top of the rivethead of the stay-tab opening device. The rotatable protective guard isthen pressed over the rounded cap and onto a shaft of the rivet of thestay-tab opening device to fasten the rotatable protective guard to thebeverage can.

In the foregoing description and in the accompanying drawings, specificterminology and drawing symbols have been set forth to provide athorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. In some instances,the terminology and symbols may imply specific details that are notrequired to practice those embodiments. For example, any of the specificdimensions, quantities, material types, fabrication steps and the likecan be different from those described above in alternative embodiments.The term “coupled” is used herein to express a direct connection as wellas a connection through one or more intervening circuits or structures.The terms “example,” “embodiment,” and “implementation” are used toexpress an example, not a preference or requirement. Also, the terms“may” and “can” are used interchangeably to denote optional(permissible) subject matter. The absence of either term should not beconstrued as meaning that a given feature or technique is required.

Various modifications and changes can be made to the embodimentspresented herein without departing from the broader spirit and scope ofthe disclosure. For example, features or aspects of any of theembodiments can be applied in combination with any other of theembodiments or in place of counterpart features or aspects thereof.Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

While the present disclosure has been disclosed with respect to alimited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having thebenefit of this disclosure, will appreciate numerous modifications andvariations possible given the description. It is intended that theappended claims cover such modifications and variations as fall withinthe true spirit and scope of the disclosure.

1. An apparatus, comprising: a beverage can including a stay-tab openingdevice secured to the beverage can by a rivet; a protective guard tokeep foreign objects out of the beverage can, the protective guarddisposed above the stay-tab opening device and rotatably secured to thebeverage can by the rivet; and a strain-relief void in the protectiveguard to enable flexing of the protective guard near the rivet.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the strain-relief void comprises acrescent shape disposed partially around the rivet to enable a leverageaction of the stay-tab opening device.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the protective guard further comprises an opening in a surfaceof the protective guard, the opening divided by bars spaced to keep aforeign object out of an opening of the beverage can.
 4. The apparatusof claim 3, wherein the bars are arranged to display at least onesymbol, at least one word, at least one abbreviation, at least oneacronym, or at least one initialism.
 5. The appratus of claim 3, whereinthe bars are arranged to represent a sports symbol and the bars arearranged to indicate a sports team or a sports league.
 6. The apparatusof claim 3, further comprising a ring connected to at least one of thebars, the ring to secure a drinking straw in the beverage can.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the protective guard further comprises anopening in a surface of the protective guard, the opening divided by aring to keep a foreign object out of an opening of the beverage can, thering capable of securing a drinking straw in the beverage can.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the protective guard comprises aluminum orplastic.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protective guardcomprises a solid surface for displaying an advertisement.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the protective guard comprises both asolid surface for displaying an advertisement and an opening in thesolid surface, the opening divided by bars, by a ring, or by both barsand a ring, spaced to keep a foreign object out of an opening of thebeverage can.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protective guardfurther comprises an opening in a surface of the protective guard, theopening divided by a single bar to keep a foreign object out of anopening of the beverage can.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising a double-headed rivet comprising a first hub with a firstradius for a rotation of the stay-tab opening device and a second hubwith a second radius for a rotation of the protective guard.
 13. Theapparatus of claim 12, wherein the double-headed rivet has a curved top;and wherein the protective guard is capable of being pressed on orsnapped onto the beverage can over the curved top during a manufactureof the beverage can.
 14. An apparatus, comprising: a beverage canincluding a stay-tab opening device secured to the beverage can by arivet; a protective guard to keep foreign objects out of the beveragecan, the protective guard disposed above the stay-tab opening device andsecured to the beverage can by at least one hinge member drawn from ametal of a tab member of the stay-tab opening device.
 15. The apparatusof claim 14, wherein a hinge member comprises one or more parts of thetab member, and a second part of the hinge comprises a part of theprotective guard; and wherein the hinge straddles the stay-tab openingdevice, the hinge having a first connection point to the tab member on afirst side of the stay-tab opening device and a second connection pointto the tab member on a second side of the stay-tab opening device. 16.The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first part of the hinge comprisesone or more immovable parts of the beverage can and the second part ofthe hinge comprises a moveable part of the protective guard.
 17. Theapparatus of claim 14, wherein the protective guard comprises a solidflap, wherein the solid flap lifts by a flow of a fluid from thebeverage can and closes when the flow stops.
 18. The apparatus of claim17, wherein the solid flap has lips to seal the solid flap to edges ofan opening of the beverage can.
 19. The apparatus of claim 14, whereinthe protective guard comprises a grid to prevent foreign objects fromentering the beverage can while allowing the beverage to leave thebeverage can.
 20. An apparatus, comprising: a beverage can including astay-tab opening device secured to the beverage can by a rivet; a guardcapable of sliding over the stay-tab opening device to keep foreignobjects out of the beverage can; the guard having a bracket to slideablyfit over a part of the stay-tab opening device; and the guard capable ofadvancing over an opening of the beverage can or retracting from theopening of the beverage can by sliding along a part of the stay-tabopening device.
 21. An apparatus, comprising: a beverage can including astay-tab opening device secured to the beverage can by a rivet; ahorseshoe-shaped clip formed from a tab of the aluminum metal of thebeverage can; a protective guard attached to the horseshoe-shaped clipcapable of covering an opening in the beverage can to keep foreignobjects out of the beverage can.